Seventeen-year-old Quebec skipper Jasmine Pernot to captain crew in St-Laurent 400 race

On August 7, Jasmine Pernot will become the youngest skipper of the sailboat Prospector in the inaugural St-Laurent 400 race — a 400-nautical-mile competition starting in Tadoussac, at the mouth of the Saguenay River, and ending at the Magdalen Islands. At 17, she'll also be one of only three women-led crews competing.

Pernot discovered sailing three years ago through Femina Youth, a Quebec program offering free sailing training to girls aged 15 to 17. She will captain a crew of seven navigating some of Quebec's most challenging waters, where tides, currents, commercial traffic, and whale-protection speed zones add complexity. Unlike shorter races where crews return to shore each evening, this race keeps competitors on the water for more than 24 hours straight.

Her coach, Daniel Bérubé, described Pernot as a natural leader. "One day we were going for a practice, and I had four other crews about her age," he recalled. "She went, 'OK, girls, let's go.' The boat was ready. All I had to do is start the engine and back up. So, I like that she took the lead." Bérubé and Pernot often meet at the Deux-Montagnes sailing club to practice on his sailboat.

Despite the complexity of the race, Pernot said she is not stressed. "The race committee really explained it really well on how to navigate there," she said. Her priority is that her crew finishes happy — but she added, "if we can do a podium, I will not say no to that."